Broadcast date: 1/29/2015
The deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner have reignited a debate about race in our country. Although many consider these incidents isolated, and racism overcome, five decades after Martin Luther King gave his historic “I Have a Dream” speech;
data suggests this dream still remains an elusive goal. A survey by the Pew Research Center finds that fewer than half of all Americans say the country has made substantial progress toward racial equality, and the same believe that “a lot more” remains to be done.
Although bias may not be a conscious decision, the effect on the relationships in our communities can be just as damaging. Messages and stereotypes reinforced repeatedly throughout our lifetime can give way to the development of unconscious or implicit bias, which can be difficult to uncover without being aware it is there. Yet, understanding and managing bias is the first step on the path towards King’s dream and a more inclusive and accepting community for everyone.
Join host Fred Munroe as he speaks with Bailey Drechsler, Professor of Human Development at Cuesta College and Annie Holmes, the Executive Director for Campus Diversity and Inclusivity at Cal Poly about the resilience of racial and ethnic bias in our everyday life. Central Coast Voices is sponsored by ACTION for Healthy Communities in collaboration with KCBX and made possible through underwriting by Joan Gellert-Sargen.
